Yoga & Cancer - It’s Safer Than You Think!

I read an interesting comment in a Facebook thread recently where a yoga teacher was concerned about teaching a student with cancer in case there were some yoga asanas that could make the cancer spread, or spread faster than it already was. It was a good reminder that there is still a lot of misunderstanding and outdated beliefs around what yoga can and cannot do.

I understand and respect the fear that the teacher had; to be honest about 25 years ago I would have thought the same thing. It is also much better to err on the side of caution when a student has serious medical condition.

Nonetheless, I feel it is important that both teachers and patients know and understand that yoga asana does not spread cancer (it also doesn’t cure it either). In fact, movement, exercise, whatever you want to call it, is really important for people going through and recovering from cancer treatment.

Whereas decades ago the recommendation for cancer patients was bed rest and long hospital stays, medical teams now know that people cope better with treatment and have better outcomes when they stay active. Medics now positively encourage people with cancer to move more, not less and very often yoga is what they recommend.

Why? Because yoga is safe and beneficial!

Once you understand that activity or exercise is important then we can look at what types might be more suitable. Obviously, it very much depends on each individual, some will be more able than others, but yoga is something that everyone can do and it is an activity with one of the lowest rates of accident or injury.

In a practical sense yoga is safe and suitable because:

·        It is a non-contact activity

·        It is (usually) indoors where the climate and environment can be controlled

·        It is in a private space which avoids accidents by other people

·        We don’t use potentially risky or dangerous equipment

·        Students wear soft comfortable clothing

·        Students can work at their own pace and sit or lie down to rest if needed

·        It takes place in a peaceful environment which is not overwhelming

So many risks are inherently avoided in a yoga class so that just leaves the yoga itself. Again, it is safer than many sports or other forms of exercise.

·        Barring extreme poses, most movements or postures are not so different from what we could do as part of everyday life. (reaching up, bending over, crouching down, turning round etc.)

·        Many practises make everyday life easier (e.g. range of movement) and safer (e.g. balance)

·        Breath awareness and co-ordination is part of the practise

·        Movements are slow and controlled

·        We balance use of left and right sides of the body

·        Students generally stay on the mat for the whole class and have their personal space

Having said all this, yoga is a very broad church and there are of course a great many styles and approaches, some are more suitable than others when working with cancer. As teachers, we still need to know what to look out for and what to avoid on an individual basis (cancer is not one illness and every student is unique). We also need to know what is positively beneficial rather than simply ‘unlikely to cause injury’.

This is why I believe it’s important for all teachers to have some training if they want to support people with cancer in their classes. It’s great for teachers to have the knowledge and confidence to say yes and it’s great for those with cancer to have suitable yoga classes to go to.

If this resonates with you then I offer 3 levels of training:

Introductory Self-Study Module - Instant access online

Foundation Essentials Training - next available 11th June 2025

Accredited 12 Week Holistic Teacher Training Course - next cohort starts 15th September 2025